Wardrobe trunk



J. RAUCHBACH.-

WARDROBE TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED :uw 13,1921.

Nimm., Patented my 16,1922.

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WARDROBE TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed July 13, 1921. Serial No. 484,300;

To all whom tmay concer/rt.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH RAUGHBAGH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Wardrobe Trunks; and l dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make fiXedshoe-pockets attached to the lower porv tionof the back of the trunk compartment in Vwhich garments were to besuspended. Such an arrangement is not entirely convenient orsatisfactory, since the projection of shoes, etc. when engagedA in saidshoepockets, interfere with the flat packing down of the suspendedgarments, and, furthermore, when the trunk was open it was necessary tofumble beneath the suspended garments lin order to gain access to theshoe-k pockets and remove the shoes desired.

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object toprovide a novel and simply constructed arrangement of detachable orremovable shoe-carrier, which is so placed when operatively attached tothe trunk as to offer a minimum likelihood of obstruction to orinterference with the proper and smoothly folded and packed down relation of the suspended garments contained in the trunk compartment. And,furthermore, the Vnovelconstruction of detachable shoe-carrierisprovided with a novel/means` for holding the same in attached relationto the trunk,.subject, however, to removal from' the trunk-so that thesame may be hung up in a room, closet or other place where ready accessto the shoes contained therein may be.

had.

'Other objects of the present invention not at this time moreparticularly enumerated will be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description of the invention.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the same consists,primarily, in the novel shoe-carrier and means for detachably securingthe same to a wardrobe trunk hereinafter set forth; and, the inventionconsists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of thevarious devices and parts, as well as in the details of theconstruction'of the same, all of which will be more fully decribed inthe following specication and then finally embodied in the appendedclaims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, vinwhich Figure l is a perspective view of the lower portion ofa wardrobetrunk, showing the novel removable shoe-carrier made according to andembodying the principles offthis invention in'normal attached relationto the trunk. Y

Figure 2 is a detail longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 insaid Figure 1, drawn on an enlarged scale; Figurel 3 is a detailhorizontalsection, taken on line 3 3 in said Figure 2, saidview beingdrawn on a slightly further enlarged scale; Figure 4 is a fragmentaryvertical section, similar to Figure 2, but showing the manner ofreleasing the shoe carrier from normal attached relation to the trunk. t

lFigure 5 is a detail longitudinal vertical section, similar to thatshown in Figure 2, but illustrating a modified form of shoe-carrier.

Similary characters of reference are emp loyed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to thel said drawings, the reference character l indicatesa wardrobe trunk provided with the hinged body section 2 whichforms acompartment 3 within which garments may be suspended from hangersupports in thel customary manner.

The reference ycharacter 4 indicates a detachable shoe-carrier element,which, in the form shown in Figures l vto 4 inclusive, comprisesa'rectangular rigid body member or flat board 5, Ywhich may be coveredwith a suitable decorative fabric or covering 6, and to the inner sideof which is suitably at tached a plurality of shoe-pockets 7, madepreferably of fabric material.

'Said shoe-carrier element is arranged, when lin attached relation tothe trunk, to be situated within the lower portion of the compartment 3of the body section 2, at the open front side of the same, so as toextend vertically upward from the bottom end of said compartment 3 andbetween the sides of the same. 11s thus located, the shoe-carrierelement is disposed in front of the garments which may be suspended andpacked within said compartment 3.

The novel means for detachably holding said shoe-carrier element in thedescribed attached relation to the body-section 2, comprises a pair oflaterally spaced apart retaining elements 8, which are suitably ixed tothe bottom wall 9 of the body section 2. Each retaining element isprovided at its forward end with an upwardly extending lug 10 having aneye or opening 11 therein. Secured tothe lower bottom margin of the bodymember 5, in laterally spaced apart relation, corresponding to thespaced relation of said retaining elements 8, are coupling devices 12provided with hook-portions formed by outwardly projecting portions 13which terminate in upwardly. projected tonguesl 14 spaced outwardly fromthe outer side of said body member 5. When it is desired to dispose theshoe-carrier element in attached relation to the trunk, the body member5 is horizontally positioned with its lower end inserted within thecompartment 3, and with the hook-portions in back of and alined with thelugs 1() of the retaining` elements 8. 1 By then drawing` the bodymember 5 forward, in the direction of the arrow ai (See Figure Il), thetongues 14 are caused to enter into the eyes or openings 11 of the lugs10, and thereupon the body member is swung upwardly into verticalposition, so that the tongues 14 of the hook-portions are engaged withthe lugs 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. By this means the bottom endof the body member 5 is securely held against displacement when innormal vertical position. n

in order to retain the body member 5 in normal vertical attachedrelation to the body section 2 of the trunk, there are provided at eachside of said body section, in suitably secured relation thereto, ananchor lug 15, havingin its free endvportion a slot 16. Fixed at eachupper corner of said body member 5 is a base portion 17 to which isrotatably related the shank 18 of a turn-button19. lWhen the turnbuttons, 19 are disposed in lateral position or extension, and thebody-member 5 is moved to vertical position, the former are caused torespectively pass through the slots 16 of the respective anchor lugs 15,after which said turn-buttons 19 are rotated to assume a verticalposition or extension across the slots 16 on the inner sides of saidanchor lugs, thus retaining the upper end of said body-member 5 insecured relation to the Abody-section 2 of the trunk, so as to be firmlyheld against displacement. To remove the shoe-carrier element, theoperations above described are reversed, as will be clearly understood.

The body-member 5 is provided on its outer side with a suitablehandle-loop 2G for conveniently 1nanipulating` the said bodymember, andalso to serve as a means for suspending the shoe-carrier element from awall hook or the like when the same is detached and removed from 'thetrunk.

By reason of its position at the front ot the compartment 3 of thetrunk, the shoecarrier element, ,is disposed so as to offer the leastlinterference with the smooth and proper packing of the garmentssuspended within said compartment 3, and, further'- more, by reason ofsuch position the shoecarrier element may be readily let down orentirely detached, so as to give quick and access to the shoes carriedthereby, without in any way interfering with or disturbing the garmentssuspended within said compartment 3.

In some instances instead of providing the shoe-carrier element in theform of the above-described body-member 5 with the pockets 7, it isdesirableto form the same in the shape of a box or case 21 with a hingedcover 22, having suitable fastening means 23 and a handle 24, all asshown in Figure 5. In such modiiied form, the coupling` devices 12, withtheir outwardly projecting portions 13 and upwardly projecting` tongues111, are secured to bottom edge or corner of the box or case 21, so thatthe case or box may be attached and detached relative to the retainingelements 8 and their lugs 10, in the same way as already described inconnection with the shoe carrier element 1. When the box or case 2l isemployed as the shoe-carrier element, the turn-button devices may beomitted, since the box or case when raised is caused to incline or leaninwardly so that gravity would tend to hold thesame substantiallyupright. lf desired, however, the ends of the box or case 21 may beprovided with stop pieces 25 which, ywhen the former is turned upwardlyinto the compartment 3, engage the edges of the sides of the bodysection2 to limit the inwardly leaning disposition of the same. So far asposition relative to the compartment 3 and its contents, and so far asconvenience, accessibility, and ready detachability is concerned, theabove described mounting of the boX or case 21, serves'equally all suchadvantages.

I am aware that changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the various devices and parts as well as in the detailsof the construction thereof,

without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in theforegoing speciiication, and as defined in the following appendedclaims, Hence, 1 do not limit this invention to the exact arrangementsand combinations of the several devices and parts as described in thesaid specification7 nor do I confine myself to the exact details of theconstruction of the said parte as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

I claim l. in a wardrobe trunk, the combination with an open bodysection thereof, of a detachable shoe-carrier element, retaining membersfixed to the outer marginal portions of the bottom end wall o said bodysections within the open front portion'of the latter, said retainingmembers having upwardly projecting lugs provided with openings,hook-portions fixed to the lower end of said shoe-carrier elementdetachably'engageable in the openings of said lugs, and meanscooperatingwith the upper end of said shoe-carrier element for holdingthe same substantially upright within the open front portion of saidbody section.

2. In a wardrobe trunk, the combination with an open body sectionthereof, of a detacha-ble shoe-carrier element, retaining members fixedto the outer marginal porthe latter, said retaining members having.

upwardly projecting lugs provided with openings, hook-portions xed tolthe lower end of said shoe-carrier element detachably engageable in theopenings of said lugs, slotted members projecting inwardly from tbesides of said body-section, and turn-button devices connected with thesides of theJ upper end portion of said shoe-carrier element engageablewith said slotted. members to hold said element substantially uprightwithin the open front portion of said body section.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 7 th day of June, 1921.

JOSEPH RAUCI-IBACH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. Bici-Lanos, EVA E. DEscH.

